Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) Program Michael S. Carona, Sheriff~Coroner Orange County Sheriff s s Department
Introduction What is MIOCR? A competitive grant specifically for operators of county jails A separate grant is being awarded for mentally ill juvenile offenders (Probation) Authorized by AB 1811 Funds are awarded and disbursed by the State Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Purpose Reduce the rate of recidivism of mentally ill offenders
Orange County s s Jail System Daily Daily Inmate Population Averaged 6,393 inmates in 2005 38% increase in five years 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Impact upon Correctional Mental Health Services OCJ has more than 900 persons receiving mentally health care while in custody Representing 15% of the inmate population Designated beds for mental health treatment 80 beds for males 15 beds for females More than 800 inmates receiving mental health treatment are housed among the jail s general population
Impact upon Correctional Mental Health Services Correctional Mental Health evaluates 12,500 inmates annually (19% of the inmate population) Evaluations in FY 05/06 increased by almost 2,000 over the previous FY year Mental Health treatment appointments in FY 05/06 increased by 10,670 over the previous FY year This increase has been incurred without any additional Correctional Mental Health staff
Orange County s s proposed MIOCR Program Identifies persons in custody suffering from severe & persistent mental illness Provides treatment in an environment more conducive to treating the illness Provides beneficial ancillary services (housing, financial aid, employment) Decreases the likelihood that the participant will re-offend and return to jail
Specialty Court Model Orange County currently utilizes several Specialty Courts Specialty Courts focus on the root causes of criminal behavior Emphasis is placed on treatment and education, coupled with intense supervision Court uses pending criminal litigation as an incentive for participation and completion Statistics show that this model is highly successful in changing behavior and reducing recidivism
Existing Specialty Courts and Programs Whatever It Takes (WIT) Court Target Population Mentally ill Inmates in custody on non-violent felony or misdemeanors Homeless or at risk of being homeless Referrals made by officers of the court (District Attorney and defense attorney) Participants plead guilty and are placed on formal probation Assessed by the treatment team (therapists) to create a treatment plan Released from custody into program Case may be dismissed at program completion Participation limited to 100 persons per year
Existing Specialty Courts and Programs Proposition 36 Target population Inmate in-custody on drug charges only Felonies or misdemeanors Participants plead guilty and are placed on formal probation; Misdemeanants are not placed on formal probation Treatment includes random drug testing Additional support services (housing, etc.) are not included Court appearance is random, about 6-86 8 times during program Released immediately from custody into program Case will be dismissed upon program completion The number of participants is not limited; everyone who meets established criteria is entitled to participate
Existing Specialty Courts and Programs Co-Occurring Disorder Court (CODC) Target population Must be Proposition 36 eligible Access 1 mental health diagnosis Felonies only Participants plead guilty and are placed on formal probation with increased supervision Outpatient services provided through HCA No ancillary services (housing, for example) Formal probation with increased supervision Released immediately from custody into program Case will be dismissed upon program completion Limited to 50 participants at any given time
Existing Specialty Courts and Programs Drug Court (Orange County Orange County s s first specialty court) Target population Felony drug charges only; cases may include non-drug charge misdemeanors on the same complaint Typically, clients with mental illness do not qualify Formal Probation (more intense than in Prop 36) Released from custody into program Case will be dismissed upon program completion (typically 18 months to 2 years) Total cases capped at 460 for the County
Existing Specialty Courts and Programs Homeless Court Target population Victimless misdemeanors and traffic Clients are homeless Probation is not involved District Attorney approves the types of cases that the Court accepts Services are limited to available community resources (VA social worker, SSI outreach, etc.)
Existing Specialty Courts and Programs Opportunity Knocks Target population Inmates being released from custody at completion of jail sentence Homeless or at risk of being homeless No probation required Post-release program provides wrap-around around services and links to community resources Participation is voluntary No reduction in sentence and no dismissal of case
Orange County s Proposed MIOCR Program Target Population Mentally ill misdemeanants in custody on non-violent charges No history of violence or sex crimes Participants plead guilty and are placed on intensive, supervised formal probation Assessed by the treatment team (therapists) to create a treatment plan Released from custody into program Case may be dismissed at program completion Participation limited to 40 persons at one time Based on proven Mental Health Court model
Other California Jurisdictions with Mental Health Courts Butte Los Angeles Monterey Nevada County Placer Riverside San Bernardino San Francisco San Joaquin Santa Clara Sonoma
Proposed MIOCR Process Health Care Agency identifies mentally ill inmates who may qualify for program Referral to Public Defender & Court Team for consideration of intervention Program participants are placed on formal probation and enrolled in supervised treatment program Jail Assessment Court Team Treatment
MIOCR Target Population Inmates diagnosed with a serious mental disorder In-custody on misdemeanor charges No history of violence No history of sex crimes All eligible participants are reviewed by the Court Team on a case-by by-case basis
Typical Eligible Inmate Profile In-custody for misdemeanor Has been in jail on ten or more separate occasions Has no violent or sex crimes convictions No felony convictions Prior convictions may include thefts, resisting arrest, trespassing, and misdemeanor probation violations
How MIOCR Benefits Orange County Makes jail beds available for other violators Community-based treatment is more cost- effective than incarceration Participants are more likely to take medications, gain stability and secure employment Reduces costs associated with prosecution Improved Community Safety
Budget (18-month period) Salaries for newly added personnel $847,146 Medications $243,000 Professional Services $466,500 In-direct costs $351,380 Total Program Costs $1,908,025 County s s cash and in-kind match ($408,025) Grant Application Request $1,500,000
What MIOCR Funding Provides 2 Correctional Mental Health staff members to identify and assess mentally ill offenders in Jail 2 Community Court staff members to assess and manage persons referred to the Court for consideration and monitoring 1 Probation Officer to supervise individuals who are placed into the program by the Court 1 Mental health clinician to assess participants progress while in the program Medications necessary for treatment Housing and substance abuse services
Timeline of Events January-March, 2007 Recruitment and hiring of staff Development of collaborative, inter-agency procedures Set-up Data Collection Systems Develop transportation from custody to clinic or housing Establish MIOCR Court Oversight Committee March March 2007 Service Implementation
Conclusion Currently, there is no legal mechanism in place to monitor and provide services specifically to mentally ill misdemeanants once they are released from jail Orange County s s MIOCR Program will meet this identified un-served population